Red Bull Is Being Robbed
In Broad Daylight.
Verstappen's engineer confirmed at McLaren. His boss rumoured at Ferrari. Red Bull is losing everything — and it all happened today.
The Story
Thursday, April 9, 2026. The five-week break. No racing, no drama, all quiet. Except that on one extraordinary morning, the Formula 1 world woke up to a story that will reshape the paddock for years to come.
Gianpiero Lambiase — "GP", Max Verstappen's race engineer, the man behind the radio during four world championships, the voice in the ear of the most dominant driver of his generation — is leaving Red Bull to join McLaren.
And if that wasn't enough, reports from the Netherlands suggest that the man who engineered that switch, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, may already have a pre-contract signed with Ferrari.
One Italian engineer arriving at McLaren. One Italian engineer preparing to leave it. Red Bull losing yet another pillar of its dynasty. And Verstappen left to wonder what on earth he's still doing in Formula 1.
The Move
McLaren confirmed the deal on Thursday afternoon. Lambiase will join as Chief Racing Officer — a senior role currently handled by Stella himself on top of his team principal duties. The contract runs to his Red Bull expiry at end of 2027, though McLaren's wording of "no later than 2028" hints they're hopeful of an earlier release.
For those who need reminding of who Lambiase is: this is the man who has been in Verstappen's ear at every race since the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix — the race Max won as an 18-year-old when he was promoted from Toro Rosso. Their relationship is one of the most celebrated in modern F1. Blunt. Funny. Brilliant. Irreplaceable.
"I have said to him I only work with him. As soon as he stops, I stop too."
The Red Bull Exodus — A Complete Tragedy
This is not an isolated event. This is the latest chapter in one of the most extraordinary talent bleeds in sports history. Let's count the bodies:
The Twist — Stella to Ferrari
Did Andrea Stella Already Sign With Ferrari?
Here's where the plot gets properly Shakespearean. Dutch outlet De Limburger and F1 journalist Jacky Martens report that McLaren are pursuing Lambiase specifically because Andrea Stella has already agreed a pre-contract with Ferrari. One Italian engineer in, one Italian engineer out.
The suggestion is that Lambiase would ultimately become McLaren team principal — with Stella moving to Maranello to replace Fred Vasseur, who has been under pressure all season. Sky Sports reporter Craig Slater revealed something even more intriguing: Stella himself instigated McLaren's move for Lambiase. He went to find his own replacement.
Ferrari, asked directly by GPblog, said "no comment" — which in F1 means absolutely nothing either way. Vasseur's contract was reportedly renewed last year. But in Formula 1, contracts mean very little when the right offer arrives.
Who Is Andrea Stella?
The Career That Makes This Story Make Sense
What This Means For Verstappen
The Man Who Said He'd Leave If Lambiase Left
In 2021, in the middle of their first championship season together, Verstappen told Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport something that seems almost prophetic today: "I have said to him I only work with him. As soon as he stops, I stop too."
He was talking about Lambiase. The man who is now confirmed to be leaving Red Bull at the end of 2027.
Verstappen's contract runs to 2028. He has an exit clause if Red Bull aren't competitive by mid-2026. He has already hinted at retirement multiple times this season. His four world championships team-mate at engineering is leaving. Every pillar of the dynasty he was part of is gone.
The question is no longer whether Verstappen leaves Red Bull. It's when — and whether he goes to another team or just goes home.
Winners & Losers
- 🏊 McLaren — 3rd ex-Red Bull hire in 2 years
- 🏊 Lambiase — Massive pay rise, fresh challenge
- 🏊 Ferrari — If Stella rumours are true
- 🏊 F1 fans — Drama never stops
- 😠 Red Bull — Losing everyone, again
- 😠 Verstappen — His right-hand man, gone
- 😠 Fred Vasseur — If Stella story is true
- 😠 Anyone who thought RB would recover
When the history of this era is written, this day — April 9, 2026 — might be the moment historians point to as the day Red Bull's dynasty officially died. Not on track, not in a race, not in a championship fight. In a press release during the off-season.
Newey. Marshall. Courtenay. Wheatley. Horner. Marko. And now Lambiase. Every single person who built that machine has left. The 2021-2024 Red Bull is a memory. What remains is a car Max Verstappen hates, an engine he can't trust, and a team that can no longer keep the people he needs around him.
McLaren, meanwhile, are not just building a fast car. They are systematically harvesting the brains behind the most dominant team of the last decade. That's not recruitment. That's a hostile takeover.
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